Overview
- Reddit announced on Oct. 29 that it will begin testing a requirement to log in for most browsing in select markets outside the U.S., with timing and exact access rules to be set after those tests.
- Company leaders say the shift is meant to block unauthorised scraping of posts and comments and give Reddit tighter control over how its content is used by third parties.
- Reddit will relaunch an app‑based incognito mode that allows private, read‑only browsing but prevents commenting or other participation.
- Executives argued the change will boost ad performance because logged‑in and app users drive over 80% of Reddit’s monetization, and the move follows a loss of more than 1 million search referrals per week in October.
- The change continues a multi‑year effort that includes paid API changes, licensing deals with AI firms and legal action against scrapers, and it has prompted user criticism and concerns about discoverability and researcher access.